GreenEyedTrombonist
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Everything posted by GreenEyedTrombonist
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Oh look, a topic for me! I come from Anthropology (BA and MA) so I'm in the middle of this right now. Something I did was contact the DGS of each school I was interested in (sometimes they have an automated system that I used instead). I would mention my background, intended research project, and ask if my background in anthro would be a hindrance to my application/if they had any advice on ways I could help supplement my knowledge. I've had some good conversations as a result. -
Having a hard time finding a job with reliable income. I have freelance work and a bit in the bank, but I think I'm going to have to reduce my student loan payment soon if work doesn't pick up. On the plus side, plenty of time to work on apps. Downside, majorly stressed about paying for it all.
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_kita did a thorough response and I'd go with their advice. When I was contacting professors, I'd mention a bit of my background, my research interests, and how I've read some of their work that I think aligns with my interests. I'd mention I had some questions about the program and was wondering if they'd be willing to talk a bit (in nicer language). Since I'm switching fields, I also contacted the DGS of my intended programs. Again I'd mention my background and research interests, then ask about my concerns with switching fields. I'd always thank them in advance for their time. It is important to note, though, that you should not tell a POI you've read their work if you haven't and shouldn't say you have questions if you don't. Be respectful and honest in your communication with potential advisors. Results for Me: I contacted all of the programs I was interested in and, of the 7 schools I'm applying to, I spoke on the phone with professors at 4 schools and had a longish email exchange with the DGS at another. One of the schools does not allow for contacting professors before submitting the application so I used their automated system instead and received quite a bit of information. So, allowing for the one school where I can't contact profs early, 5/6 spending the time to speak with me in depth is pretty good. I also learned a lot more information about the program, surrounding area, and the professors by doing this. However, it should be noted that it is definitely not required for acceptance into a program.
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Anyone willing to read through my Diversity Statement real quick?
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@shreyasvm If a school has rolling deadlines it can sometimes be a benefit to apply early. I know at least one person on this forum is applying for a program with rolling deadlines (all for a summer 2019 start). If a school has rolling deadlines and a set number of allowed admitted students, it makes sense that it's better to get your app in early instead of fighting with a ton more people for the last open slot. Most schools, however, will tell you if they have such deadlines or if it's a benefit to apply early. At least for my programs, they have a FAQ section for applicants. There is almost always a question about benefits of applying early (and for most of my programs, the answer is that there is no benefit; they look at all the apps at the same time).
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Hey all, So I've had a plethora of people look over my SoP and I think it's much stronger as a result. However, I am a very private person about my "identification" (i.e. all those lovely boxes you check off on a census). I will not be showing my diversity statement to family and friends as a result. In short, anyone willing to look over my Diversity Statement? Strangers on the internet are the best. <3 I'm also willing to look over your Diversity Statement or SoP in exchange.
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Advice on Editing MA Report
GreenEyedTrombonist replied to GreenEyedTrombonist's topic in Writing Samples
5 pages is harsh. At least the reference page doesn't count towards that. I'd include only the references for the specific section OR I'd alter the reference title to reflect that the references included pertain to the original full-length work. -
Advice on Editing MA Report
GreenEyedTrombonist replied to GreenEyedTrombonist's topic in Writing Samples
Wanted to give an update on how I resolved this. Instead of taking only sections and trying to make things fit in a cut/paste sort of way, I used only one chapter. I took my Findings chapter, rewrote the intro to better fit the prompt (i.e. this is a chapter of a bigger piece, blah blah blah), and made the images I included smaller due to length constraints. No spacing requirements were mentioned, so I made the chapter single-spaced and that got me down to a 20-page document. -
Awesome @EvelynD ! I'll send a PM. Mine's just on Google Docs for easy editing.
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Tips for transferring to another PhD program?
GreenEyedTrombonist replied to EvieRue's topic in Officially Grads
As you go through this process, try and visit all the programs you're accepted to and try to speak with the students (even if only through emails). Students can often give a more realistic picture of what the program will be like for you. Hope this helps! <3 -
Saw this on the recent posts. Someone in your area may be able to offer more targeted advice, but the general answer to your questions is, "it depends." Some programs do interviews, others don't. Some may only do interviews if they feel they need more info while others use it as the final step of the application process. The point is that this is program specific so the best way to find out if a program does interviews is to 1) check their website or contact their DGS with questions you have about the app process or 2) check on the results page since people will also post getting interviews on there. Your second question also depends. Some programs have rolling admissions and others may have an internal early deadline for specific fellowships. 1 program I'm applying to only gives research fellowships to top applicants who apply by Nov. 1st (other admitted students usually get TAships). Because of this, I've focused on finishing that application first, even though its posted deadline isn't until the end of December. But again, this is program specific and not something others on here can tell you (unless they're familiar enough with the programs to which you're applying).
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This is way too broad a question. What are your research interests? What research into programs have you already conducted? What are your ultimate career goals? Although this forum can be extremely helpful through the process, it is not a substitute for researching programs on your own nor do I think it should be the very first step in your application process. Figure out what your research interests are and, if you haven't already, read articles related to these interests. Make note of the authors and who they cite, then look up if these people are professors and where they teach. This is probably the quickest way to find the best programs for you, get a head start on future lit reviews, and give you background knowledge of potential PoIs so that, if you contact them, you have something to discuss.
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@EvelynD Want to do an exchange? I'm hoping to finalize my SoP this week.
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Leaving research - Reframing "research experience" on CV
GreenEyedTrombonist replied to reddog's topic in Jobs
Yep, I do what _kita does. I have the same positions listed (or a handful that intersect and I just label it Related Work Experience) and I emphasize different skills, responsibilities, and results depending on what position I'm going for. -
Leaving research - Reframing "research experience" on CV
GreenEyedTrombonist replied to reddog's topic in Jobs
I have different resumes for different positions. When I'm applying to a social media or online writing position, I highlight the aspects of my past work that relates to these areas. So, I may have been an employee for a kids play area, but part of my duties included creating reviews and blog posts so I emphasize those aspects. When discussing myself as a researcher, I highlight the surveys and interviews I conducted in these previous positions. -
Planning a class event - on or off campus
GreenEyedTrombonist replied to HermoineG's topic in Teaching
Just to add on, if you go with a game night, don't try one tabletop game for 40 people. The logistics are just a nightmare. Game nights can be really fun if you have a variety of games (both in the sense of several tabletop and a mix of tabletop/video/activity-based). Given the size of your event, you probably want a few quicker to play games (Don't try and get everyone playing Betrayal at House on the Hill because that can last a few hours). Quicker games let people have short bouts of fun and leave easily when they're ready to move on. Card games (CAH, Exploding Kittens, Superfight) are great for this kind of play. I also enjoy games like Forbidden Island, Tsuro, and Tokaido for slightly longer games (without being great epics). You could also do themed parties and, if you're ambitious, put together a murder mystery or tabletop LARP event. You can either make your own or find a pre-made one. Here are the free-to-play tabletop LARPs from last year's Golden Cobra Challenge. Full disclosure, one of those games is mine, haha. Having a variety of games also allows people to gravitate towards things they like, rather than be bored watching others play a game they aren't really interested in. Hope this helps!- 14 replies
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Though probably not in your case, I thought I would add one more to fuzzylogician's list. By Email: The program provides an email address to which your writers will submit their letters directly. This is outside the application form. Only one of my programs has this requirement, but thought it was still worth mentioning.
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If they're willing to accept them and you do better the second time, I don't think it would make a bad impression. There can be any number of reasons that someone ends up with less-than-stellar GRE scores, but submitting a second set after the deadline (with their permission) can show that the first set was an anomaly. Like bioarch_fan suggested, your best bet is to ask each program about this issue. Although not the exact same, I was on the phone with a POI a couple weeks ago and mentioned I thought my quant score was not an accurate representation of my quant abilities (it's a quant heavy program so it was on my mind). The POI asked about my scores, told me it was fine, and gave me more information about how they use the GRE when assessing apps (in true quant fashion, this program uses a formula that takes the percentiles across all three scores and comes up with a composite score). I would have stressed over this if I didn't ask, but because I did, I was able to stress over the other aspects of my application, haha.
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You may want to consider retaking the GRE. You are applying to some competitive programs and often schools will use GRE scores as a cutoff (300, typically). Getting your combined score above this would probably stop your application from being an auto reject. Do you have research experience? Publications? Experience connected to the research you want to do? Any grants? Are your LoRs from people well-known and respected in the field and/or are they particularly strong? These can all help offset low GRE scores.
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Should the research statement be part of the cover letter ?
GreenEyedTrombonist replied to Damniu's question in Questions and Answers
If they say you need both, include both. Check if there are any specific prompts for the cover letter or research statement and try to complement (but not copy) the information in each. -
Since you mentioned retaking the GRE just before deadlines, I thought I should mention some schools have cutoffs for taking the GRE (in addition to within 5 years they say how close to the deadline you can take the test). Make sure that your retaking doesn't conflict with a "last by" date for any of your programs.
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UT austin MSBA application deadline
GreenEyedTrombonist replied to annakimtoaustin's question in Questions and Answers
Based on your description, yes, you would need to apply by May 1st. It appears that they have a rolling deadline which means it is most likely in your best interest to apply as soon as possible (if they have a set number of spots, getting an admission might get harder the later it gets). -
I like forums. I enjoy being able to ask a question and get different opinions (or trolling through archives to find the answers). I've made connections on this site that lead to external group formation and yeah, being able to talk to others in the process makes it feel a bit less lonely.
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Given that you want to pursue stats/math programs, I'd say you might consider taking it again, focusing on improving your quant.
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I'm not in psych, but I do know many social science programs use a 300 cutoff for GRE scores, which you are above, so you wouldn't be automatically rejected from these programs. Do you have access to recent admitted stats for the programs to which you're applying? How is your writing, LoRs, academic history (in addition to the 4.0 GPA, courses/other academics directly related to your program interests)? If the rest of your application is strong, you may be able to offset low GRE scores. Have you had test anxiety before? If there's a noted history you may want to reach out to program coordinators and explain your testing struggles. They may be able to help with what to do.
